When Do prescription drugs become dangerous click                                                                                                                                                

• One-third of all teens do not understand that abusing prescription
  pain relievers can be "as dangerous--and addictive--as using  
  street narcotics and other illicit drugs. 1
• 40 percent of young people wrongly believe that prescription
  medicines are "much safer" that illegal drugs. 2
• The overwhelming majority of teens obtain prescription drugs through
  family members  or other people they know

 About 25% of children aged 3–11 years live with at
least one smoker.     

References

• According to the 2005 Tennessee Youth Risk Behavior Survey,75% of all Tennessee high school students have tried alcohol at least once.

• Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Tennessee youth and young adult ages 15-24.

Poor mental health for adolescents is a costly proposition. The current estimated bill for caring
for troubled youth is $12 billion annually. In 1998, Americans spent more than $1 billion on
psychotropic medications (stimulants and antidepressants) to treat, on average, 4% of all youth,
predominantly those aged 6-17.

• In 2005, 31% of Tennessee high school students reported they had felt so sad or
  hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more.
• Females (40.5%) were almost twice as likely to report depression as males
• Boys complete suicide at rates approximately four times higher than girls.
• In 2005, 14.% of Tennessee high school students made a suicide plan
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death for Tennessee youth and young adults

    ages 15-24.

As a parent what can you do?
Parents can model responsible behavior, educate themselves about teen drug abuse,
give and enforce clear messages about alcohol and other substances, and get
involved and stay involved with local and school prevention efforts.

All information on this site is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult Your doctor.

¹ The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 5/22/2006. Prescription Medication Abuse: A Growing Problem, http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Features/Prescription_Medicine_Misuse last referenced 5/22/2006

² The Partnership for a Drug-Free America, 5/15/2006. Generation Rx: National Study Confirms Abuse of Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs, http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/Research/Teens_2005/Generation_Rx_Study_Confirms_Abuse_of_Prescription last referenced 5/22/2006